Following your heart or your mind.
So, for several years I have wished that I would follow my heart a little bit more and my head a little bit less. I have, for as long as I can remember been a very logical minded person, weighing everything heavily and in the end opting not to do something because it was too risky. As a result there are a couple things that I regret having missed out on and I am still hesitant to do anything that if it goes bad could have to big of a risk. In this sense it would be nice to follow my heart a little more and quieting those fears of negative risks in me head.
Recently however, I have seen a glimpse of what happens when someone follows only their heart without their mind keeping it in check. It too can be bad to always just follow where your heart will lead with out thinking of the consequences or listening to the nagging thought in your head that perhaps you ought to reconsider the path on which you are headed.
As a result I have learned that the best thing is for your heart and your mind to work together as one as you trod through lives paths taking risks every once in awhile (it is good for you) but also letting your more logical thought processes let you see the bigger picture further down the road. I just need to learn to look at the big picture of each decision and be willing to do something if the negative risks aren’t too great or if the amazing things I will get out of it are greater then the risks.
For instance, in 2003 I had the oportunity to go to Europe as a tag along with one of the U of U choirs. I paid for the trip and in the meantime flew on an airplane to California. It was only my 2nd or 3rd plane ride but I was sick a couple of times during the flight. I was already feeling aprehensive about traveling 5,000 miles away from home without my parents or family and then to think I would be air sick for 15 hours during the flight over I just about talked myself out of going. Thankfully, my wise mom sat me down and helped me to put my fears and the pros and cons on paper. We also talked about the worst that could happen while I was gone and the best that could happen, my mom said that the trip would fall somewhere in between and I decided to go despite my worries. To this day that trip is still one of the biggest life changing events in my life. It as helped me to see the things don’t always go wrong and I met a lot of cool people and saw some of the most amazing things that I have ever seen in my life.
So there you go. Don’t follow your heart all the time or your mind. Let them be balanced with one another and work together so that you can get the most out of life.